stretch marks

A form of stretch mark — Any of a series of red (or purple or faded), irregular stripes on the surface of the skin caused by rapid growth of the tissues lying just underneath. They may appear as a result of pregnancy, puberty, obesity, rapid muscle growth or family history.

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Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of stretch mark

    As I write this, I am reminded of the scene from Shirley Valentine, when, to Shirley's amazement, her Greek lover kissed her stretch marks, referring to them as symbols of beauty.

    1998 Judith C. Daniluk - Women's Sexuality Across the Life Span: Challenging Myths, Creating Meanings - Page 353
Cite this entry
APA

stretch marks. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stretch%20marks

MLA

“stretch marks.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stretch%20marks. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stretch marks,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stretch%20marks.

Source: stretch marks on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.